Woman to stand trial for attempted murder of stepson

August 11, 2017

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As the final witness took to the stand to testify before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Thursday morning at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, the court ruled that sufficient evidence was made out against Samantha Bourne for the attempted unlawful killing of Virtual Complainant (VC) Kevin Blair during a brawl earlier this year.
The 40-year-old woman was recently released on $150,000 bail when she appeared before the Chief Magistrate for unlawfully and maliciously wounded Kevin Blair with intent to commit murder on May 28, 2017, at Lot 292 Independence Boulevard, Georgetown.
As the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) concluded on Thursday, Esther Cumberbatch, an eyewitness to the incident, presented sworn testimony and was cross-examined by State Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield.
Defence Counsel Adrian Thompson in his closing maintained that the evidence presented by the prosecution’s witnesses were consistent with that of attempted murder while positing that there was no evidence to suggest that the wounds of the VC were life threatening, as the medical merely indicated that Blair suffered a stab wound to the abdomen. According to Thompson, the abdomen is not a “vital organ” of the human body as he made references to the head, heart, lungs and liver as being examples of such.
After a few moments of deliberation, the Chief Magistrate stated that based on the evidence of the prosecution’s witnesses, the defendant’s statements and defence’s witnesses, the court has found that sufficient evidence has been made out in the PI to commit Bourne to stand trial for the attempted murder of Blair at the next practical sitting of the High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature, in Georgetown.
According to media reports, on the day in question, there was a confrontation between the two parties at their Independence Boulevard residence when Bourne whipped out a knife and stabbed her stepson to his abdomen. He was then rushed to the hospital by a relative.
The Prosecutor made no objection to bail being granted which was set at $150,000.